#spicycandydc

[americanbolivian]

Carla Sanchez is an entrepreneur. As one of the first Latina Bloggers on the web with a successful lifestyle blog out of DC, she created her own social media agency (SCDC Agency). Her most recent endeavor is “Casa Kantuta” originally a Bolivian “pop-up” cocktail bar in the DMV will now be opening permanently as the first Bolivian cocktail bar in the nation this winter!!

Casa Kantuta : https://www.casakantuta.com/

Casa Kantuta’s grand opening/ New Year’s party celebration 12/31! Follow their IG for more updates @casakantuta

Social media Agency Website: https://www.scdctheagency.com

 Instagram: @spicycandydc​

“My name is Carla Sanchez. I was born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia. I immigrated to VA in the 90’s with my mom and younger brother at the age of 9.

 I have the most amazing memories of my childhood in La Paz! 

Truly happy I was able to celebrate 9 birthdays with all my family members and childhood friends. 

Life as an immigrant child wasn’t easy. I missed home for a very long time. My parents actually discussed the possibility of taking me back because of how depressed I got living in a new country. After a year, I started to get used to my new surroundings and lifestyle but part of me always felt like I was stripped away from the joy of growing up with my grandma, nana, aunts and cousins. Birthdays, Christmas and New Year celebrations never felt the same without them but I’m grateful that my parents really tried hard to include our family traditions in every life celebration we had.

 I’ve been in this country for now 30+ years and consider Washington DC my second  home.

 I got to know the city very well by starting a lifestyle blog (@spicycandydc) 14 years ago. I was prob one of the few Latinas who had a successful blog at that time.

 That blog opened so many doors for me and thought me so much of what I know now. I founded my own social media agency 4 years ago (SCDC The Agency) and have been my own boss ever since.

 During the early stages of the pandemic an idea crossed my mind that would not let me sleep at night, it was like a whispering voice that kept telling me, “this is what you need do, this is your path” and this is how “Casa Kantuta” was born. Casa Kantuta started as a pop-up cocktail bar with the purpose to introduce/showcase Bolivian culture to the DMV area but with bigger dreams ahead. 

After two successful pop-ups, Casa Kantuta is opening the first Bolivian cocktail bar in the nation this winter. 

My brother, Juan Sanchez (co-founder) and I can’t wait to invite you to our home, your home a place we hope every Bolivian in the nation will be proud to walk into and if you are not Bolivian, I hope you leave Casa Kantuta inspired by our culture and family’s legacy. About Casa Kantuta: 

“Casa Kantuka is a pop-up bar experience inspired by Bolivian culture! It is the brainchild of two hermanos who immigrated from Bolivia to the DC area in the ‘90s and want to share their rich culture and ancestral traditions with the DC scene. 

Their vision is to create an environment that will transport people to another place as they sip on beautiful Bolivian-inspired craft cocktails, snack on authentic Bolivian street food, and listen to great music with a modern speakeasy vibe”

- Carla Sanchez 

All images, video and copyright are reserved for Carla Sanchez  Ⓒ

[dcfashionfool]

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#TBT I was so excited to work with the @embassyrowhotel on their Find Your Fun in DC campaign. Such a fun way to showcase DC w/ @blonde_inthedistrict @rock_yo_rizos & @spicycandydc You can see the full video at the @embassyrowhotel website #embassyrowlove #wemakedchappen #embassyrowhotel #mydccool #washingtondc (at The Embassy Row Hotel Washington DC - A Destination Hotel)

[sebas-marin]

SHOOTING 🎥 Video for @spicycandydc with @shellbcheri #videoshoot #sotrendy #sebasmarin #spicycandydc

[mariobadescuskincare]

Spotted, at the Glamazon Diaries Summer Trend and Tweet Party. How gorgeous are these girls?!

[allthingsfashiondc-blog-blog]

1 Question 2 Bloggers

The title is pretty self-explainitary, but we’ll explain it anyway. In this series we pose one question to two Washington, DC area bloggers to get their opinion on a particular issue in fashion. We are excited to present SpicyCandyDC's Carlis and Katya as our latest dynamic duo.

QUESTION:

What do you say to people who think of fashion as a frivolous/superficial industry?

ANSWERS:

CARLIS FROM "SPICYCANDYDC"

I would suggest for them to look past the surface of what society has labeled this industry to be.  I just came back from New York Fashion Week and met so many amazing, talented people in the industry. Fashion is not just clothes, it's a way to express yourself as an individual -- style comes from the inside and it isn't something you can buy. I look up to people who take their time to demonstrate a little of who they are by putting an outfit together that represents their personality. We are all unique in our own way, fashion does not need to be loud or expensive to be present. I hope that in the future society can label fashion as more than just superficial or a world full of narcissism. Fashion is an art and an amazing way of self expression.

  KATYA FROM "SPICYCANDYDC"

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about a certain industry (and there are positive and negative aspects in all industries), but I say that they probably don't have a real appreciation or understanding for what the fashion industry actually represents.  There is a great quote that I love by my favorite writer, Mark Twain, that touches on the very essence of this subject -- "Clothes make the man.  Naked people have little to no influence on society".  As individuals, we embrace fashion and personal style to express ourselves every single day.  Whether you're selecting something to wear to a first date, an interview, or any other occasion, you are partaking in this industry and it's only frivolous if you make it so.  To me, fashion is the art of self expression, it's your unique way to portray who you are and how you feel, and most importantly, it's an industry that provides millions of jobs for the creative minds that range from photography, styling, design, writing, etc.  Personally, when I feel good in what I wear, I'm a more confident, strong, and powerful woman, and I'm glad that there are millions of people around the world who share and embrace my same views on this subject.

  BLOGGER BIOS: 

                      I'm Carla Sanchez aka Carlis, an office manager by day and one of the style bloggers behind SpicyCandyDC by night and weekends.  I'm the primary social networker of the blog and also a proud stylist who enjoys styling lookbooks, shoots, and myself of course.  I love food, especially sweets, as much as I love fashion, and I'm totally crazy about my dog Lola.  If you didn't know by now, Katya is my best friend for over 17 years.  We both work really hard to bring our readers fresh, edgy, and inspiring content on our blog. Every post is something we are proud of and I hope our readers can tell that everything we do, we do it with love.

                        I'm Katya Ananieva, a project manager by trade and the second half of SpicyCandyDC. I am the primary writer and photographer of our blog and I also consider myself our cultural ambassador having lived the first half of my life in Europe and South America.  When I'm not blogging, styling, or photographing, you will find me brunching with my friends or fellow bloggers, taking my sweet little Bichon Mimi for a stroll in Old Town, Alexandria, looking for inspiration online, or working away on a business venture.

  SPICYCANDYDC

Website: www.spicycandydc.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/spicycandydc

Facebook: Spicy Candy DC

Original Article

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LPM Lookbook!

More photos in our blog!

photography: spicycandydc.com

Sytling: Carlis, Katya and Katherine

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More photos of the Mad Men inspired lookbook for Goodwill.

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More photos of the Mad Men inspired lookbook for Goodwill.

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More photos of the Mad Men inspired lookbook for Goodwill.

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Wearing my Fav LBD from nasty gal 

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